School
With a population of 4,500 this school sorts children into different houses in accordance to their level of learning. The higher the entrance exam score is the more advanced classes a student will take. With a wide array of subjects, sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities this school is sure to satisfy any child's desire. This school in particular uses the Western System of Education moreso than the Eastern type. Its classes aren't only limited to a normal public high school of Japan, but also the types that one would see internationally. Eastern System of Education There is no free choice of what subjects one can take in these types of school. ["(1) In high school students are generally split into two groups - those planning on studying math and science in university (or if not going to university, planning to get a job related with these fields), and those similarly interested in the humanities. The two groups are not split until the last year or so of high school, when the sciences group takes more science classes, and the humanities group is expected to take more Japanese, ancient Japanese, and writing classes instead. '' ''(2) There are a few classes which are designated as electives, and you get to pick those from grade one. Among these choices are: whether to take Japanese history or world history, whether to take calligraphy, art, or music for the "arts" requirement. '' ''(3) In the third year of high school you get to pick a few of your classes. This partially ties in with (1). '' '' For instance, after you have taken biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science, the science stream students get to pick which science they would like to spend their last year studying. Similarly, the humanities people (or really anyone, I suppose) can choose to take either advanced Chinese ancient poetry or advanced ancient Japanese writings. Note that students are divided into classes partly on the basis of these choices, as I mentioned in Part I in middle school, you do not get to choose your classes. '' '' '' ''The subjects taken in high school are pretty much as follows: Modern Japanese, Ancient Japanese (and ancient Chinese poetry like the Rongo by Kousi <= Lun4 Yu3>), history (either world history or Japanese history), ethics, writing, math, physics, earth science, chemistry, biology, home economics (where you learn all about nutrition - ew..), P.E. (this is required all 3 years), health, art, English, English composition, English reading, government/economics, and maybe that is about it. '' '' '' ''Generally you take from between ten to fourteen classes at one time. This sounds horrendous, but keep in mind that up to 3 of them are P.E. and you are also taking art, health, and home economics, which aren't too taxing. Also - perhaps this is the most important part - you don't have all of your classes every day. The schedule rotates throughout the week, and in every classroom you enter you will find a schedule taped to the wall, in most cases decorated with cute little drawing of anime characters. Because of this, even though Japanese school is six days a week (Saturday is a half day, though) and summer vacation is shorter, the actual ammount of time you spend in any one class probably is not much different from the time you spend on it in the United States. (All those people writing the newspaper articles on how much more time the Japanese spend studying their subjects in school don't know what they are talking about.) '' '' '' ''About the level of the classes - high school is not required education (that's why you have to take an exam to get in), so different high schools have different levels. The public schools are at a quite high level, and then there are private schools at levels both above and below this. "] (Maiko Covington) In Eastern-based classes, the teacher is the primary and only voice of the room. Most of his/her questions are rhetorical, and as such are not meant to be answered. The students are not to question what the teachers says or speak up when they have an idea (unless in certain situations wherin they're expected to do so by their instructor). They have the sole job of listening, making the students less participate and active than those seen in a Western-type of school. Eastern education is mainly based on book learning and memorization. They focus on classics and exams. Teachers often have to rush through the textbooks to meet the deadline of every monthly examination. Hence, students learn from memorizing facts, which are often forgotten after a short period of time, rather than understanding. The Eastern education system puts a great deal of emphasis on conformity. There are tons of school rules to follow and students are expected to line up like troops when attending assembly. Rules like: “sneakers and socks have to be white or black”, “shirts need to be tucked in”, and “no makeup or nail polish is allowed” are common. Any action that’s out of the ordinary is regarded as some sort of rebellion and will be questioned or punished. Western System of Education In comparison to its Asian counterpart, the Western system of education is actually much more lenient. Mistakes and errors are more tolerated here, looked at like the stepping stones to success and to finally getting something right. Learning is used for maturing, and not just as memory work that'll be forgotten as soon as the test is over and done with. "In contrast to the Eastern grading system, they grade students by assessment of their performance. This way, students who put lots of effort to their studies can be satisfied with the grades they get and will maintain the motivation to keep up the good work and those who don’t work hard also learn that lack of effort is not sufficient to earn a good outcome. Originality and extracurricular activities are highlighted and encouraged, activities like a donation contest, visiting an orphanage or building houses for the poor. Consequently, they produce more artists and designers that dominate the fashion trends and create a more concerned community." The relationship between teachers and students are much less tense here. There are counselors that students can speak about their problems with, and people who they can seek advice from when in need. Emotional problems are considered something that needs to be taken into account and helped, to allow the student to move forward. As such, more leniency and consideration are often times given by teachers if the reason stated or given is a valid one. In the Western system, teachers are seen more as guides than dictators. Western Education as a whole encourages their students to follow and go after their interests and ideals, as such allowing them to make use of the skills and talents they have regardless of whether it be for business or art. It treats learning as a way to get ready for the reak world, but still makes it clear that this is just the first step. In Eastern education, the students are trained to focus on having work as a main priority and focus in life. Hobbies and such are a distraction, something that should be ignored and disciplined. But in the Western way of teaching, they are taught to able to make choices more consistent with their own true interests and live to what satisfies them. This gives them the motivation to follow their interest with passion which drives them to become leaders and exemplaries in their chosen field. They're taught to appreciate and relish the world, as well as form connections with the people around them. Class list Subjects: Required History Literature Math PE Science History: Japanese History World History Math: Algebra Concepts Algebra Intermediate Algebra Geometry Pre-Calculus Calculus Trigonometry PE: Dance Gymnastics Yoga Science: Biology Chemistry Earth Science Physics Extra Curricular/Electives: Aid Anatomy and Physiology Art Culinary Health Humanities Language (List here) Literature Music appreciation/Music Nursing Oceanography Patient Care Tec ROTC (army) Speech Swimming Art/Fine Arts: Art Band Ceramics Digital Photography Drama Orchestra Painting Photography Clubs: Animal lovers Anime club Archery Art Aviation Birdwatching Book club Cat lovers Choir Computer Debate Disco club Dog lovers FEAST (cooking club) Find your voice club Glee club Hunting National Junior Honor Society Newspaper Photography Sports Teams: Badminton Baseball Basketball Cheerleading Criket Cross Country Field Hockey Football Golf Hockey Ice Skating Lacrosse Polo Raquetball Rounders Rugby Soccer Softball Swimming Synchronized swimming Table Tennis (ping-pong) Tennis Underwater Hockey Underwater Rugby Volleyball Water Polo Wrestling Category:Locations Category:General Info